This is an incredibly insightful post on depression. As a father of two young children, I am incredibly sorry for your loss and reading about it really struck me... Strangely enough, this thread being about mindfulness meditation, made me halt my instinctive reaction to keep scrolling and confront the emotions I was feeling reading it. My instinct was to keep scrolling and distract my mind with other things, but instead I realize your post confronts me with the terrifying possibility of losing my own children.

I think you really illustrate the difference between depression and sadness. Depression I imagine is like experiencing dulled senses, a vapid gray world of numbness. While sorrow and sadness are incredibly vivid emotions that can overpower us, like when they struck you so suddenly unloading groceries. I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing such personal information.

I have dealt with huge, soul crushing depression. In my case it was absolutely a spiritual/lifestyle problem. Specifically, my core values involve personal growth, and contribution to society, and I felt incapable of either. I had a good job, a girlfriend, good relationships with family, etc, but none of that mattered. The rational I had was that my in the big scheme of things I didn't matter - I could just as well not exist, and outside of a couple of people absolutely nothing would change.

I feel like the massively connected nature of modern society is directly responsible for flourishing depression. Odds are, you are redundant; if most people disappeared suddenly, someone else could probably pick up the pieces in fairly short order. Additionally, being hyper-connected means that whatever you're good at, it is probably easy to find examples of people who are much better at it than you, which can be be somewhat marginalizing. Not feeling necessary or exceptional in any way is a pretty sure fire recipe for angst.

The nasty thing about depression is that it is a self-reinforcing cycle. When you start to get depressed, your ability to take measures to address the root cause of the depression is impacted. The result is a downward spiral that results in self obviation, through suicide, self destructive behavior or substance abuse.

But, there are lifestyle and "spiritual" things that can be done to help treat depression. Things like exercise, diet, social interaction, exposure to nature and sunlight, and other environmental factors can have an effect on the physical make up of the brain. Now none are cure alls and a lack of any one of them isn't necessarily to blame either, but there is merit to some of these "spiritual" practices that get more of those things in one's life.

> But, there are lifestyle and "spiritual" things that can be done to help treat depression

(I am the OP on going through loss and sadness and not being depressed.)

Yes 100% correct. Just like if you have heart disease or a bad back their are non-medical activities that will help those medical condition. My statement is that their is a medical piece that people discount and/or actually dismiss. A person can't just "fix themselves" and having the medical piece help them with treatment with counseling is a big help. Depression isn't that your sad.

Depression Definition: Clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for weeks or more.

Symptoms of depression include:

    Low mood or irritable mood most of the time


    Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much


    A big change in appetite, often with weight gain or loss
    Tiredness and lack of energy


    Feelings of worthlessness, self-hate, and guilt


    Difficulty concentrating


    Slow or fast movements


    Lack of activity and avoiding usual activities


    Feeling hopeless or helpless


    Repeated thoughts of death or suicide


    Lack of pleasure in activities you usually enjoy, including sex 

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003213.htm

Exercise is important, and it might help prevent depression, but the good quality evidence we have says that exercise is at best a weak treatment for depression for some people, and not at all a treatment for the rest.